Phillips Brooks School

What Phillips Brooks School does

Phillips Brooks School is an independent, co-educational day school operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and serving Preschool through 5th Grade from a single campus at 2245 Avy Avenue, Menlo Park, California. Founded in 1978, the school has operated continuously for over four decades under a Board of Trustees governance structure and currently executes a Strategic Plan covering 2022-2027. Its programmatic core consists of an Early Learning Center for preschool, dedicated K-2 and Grades 3-5 academic tracks, and a cross-curricular Emotional Intelligence program that the school positions as its primary differentiator.

The school's revenue mechanics combine recurring tuition with philanthropic support: Annual Fund donations target $1MM annually and represent approximately 7-10% of the operating budget, supplemented by an $11.4MM endowment, the annual Spring Benefit auction, and the community-driven Party for PBS fundraising series. Summer@PBS, a K-5 seasonal camp with specialist electives and an ELC track priced at $925 per week, extends the campus utilization and revenue surface beyond the academic year. Up to 100% of tuition is available through need-based financial aid, with the Elizabeth Root Endowment for Tuition Assistance providing dedicated support.

Phillips Brooks School's go-to-market motion is community-led: prospective families typically discover the school through local word-of-mouth and referrals, then progress through virtual information sessions, campus tours, parent interviews, and applicant visits managed through the Ravenna Solutions application portal. Operating technology is composed of third-party platforms, including Finalsite for the public website, Veracross for the community portal and program registration, Ravenna for admissions, and OneCause for the Spring Benefit auction. The school's competitive positioning emphasizes small student-to-teacher ratios, indoor-outdoor campus design, faculty development partnerships with the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Institute for Social Emotional Learning, and an active parent and alumni community organized through the PBSA and GATHER programs.

Name

Phillips Brooks School

Legal name

Phillips Brooks School

Website

https://phillipsbrooks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Phillips Brooks School is an independent, co-educational, nonprofit day school in Menlo Park, California, serving Preschool through 5th Grade with an integrated Emotional Intelligence curriculum. It operates a tuition-plus-Annual Fund revenue model and runs a seasonal Summer@PBS camp program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-5 Private Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB)

Keywords

• Elementary day school
• Independent private school
• Early learning programs
• Social emotional curriculum
• Summer camp programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Menlo Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments for preschool through 5th grade education. However, tuition alone does not cover the full cost of a PBS education, requiring supplemental funding.
2. Annual Fund Donations: Annual Fund provides unrestricted funding representing approximately 7-10% of the school's annual operating budget. Contributions are allocated to academic programs, faculty support, arts, athletics, facilities, and financial aid.
3. Spring Benefit: Annual themed fundraising event featuring entertainment, food, drinks, and silent/live auction. Proceeds support the need-based financial aid program.
4. Party for PBS: Community-driven event series where parents host parties. 100% of ticket proceeds support the Financial Aid program.
5. Endowment Income: The $11.4MM endowment generates interest income that provides direct funding to support students, families, faculty and staff, and programs annually.
6. Summer@PBS Program: Summer camp programs for K-5 campers with specialist electives. ELC Summer weekly rate is $925 with optional MorningCare and AfterCare add-ons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Phillips Brooks School delivers Preschool through 5th Grade independent day school education on its Menlo Park, California campus, integrating a core academic program with an Emotional Intelligence curriculum, before- and after-school extended care, and the seasonal Summer@PBS camp program. Educational services are bundled with community programming (GATHER talks, parent association activities) and supported by tuition, an Annual Fund, endowment income, and benefit events.

Product overview

Phillips Brooks School is an independent, co-educational day school serving Preschool through 5th Grade, located in Menlo Park, CA. The school offers a unified educational program combining strong academics, social-emotional development through its Emotional Intelligence curriculum, and an inclusive family community. Core programs include the Early Learning Center (preschool), Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, and Before/After-School Programs. The school operates Summer@PBS, a seasonal K-5 camp program with specialist electives and weeklong projects. Community engagement features include the GATHER program with community talks and performances, and a password-protected Community Portal for families. Fundraising initiatives include the PBS Annual Fund (targeting $1 million with 100% family participation), the annual Spring Benefit auction event, and the Party for PBS community fundraising program. The school leverages third-party platforms including Veracross for portal access, Ravenna for admissions, and Finalsite for web hosting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Learning Center (ELC) Preschool program for the youngest students engaging them in creative, play-based, hands-on projects to teach early literacy, math, and problem-solving skills. Targets families with preschool-age children in the Menlo Park area.
• Grades K-2 Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% participation goal in Annual Fund
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Children's Health Council (CHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides on-campus consultations for families, including in-classroom observations to support students' emotional well-being. CHC also provides faculty and staff education on topics including mental health and speech therapy.
• Challenge SuccesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch-based, equity-centered partnership supporting student well-being while providing faculty and families opportunities to learn, reflect, and help shape a more balanced school experience.
• Harvard Graduate School of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty engage in professional development programs from Harvard Graduate School of Education as part of ongoing educator training initiatives.
• Institute for Social Emotional LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinued partnership providing research-based professional development for faculty in social-emotional learning methodologies.
• Ravenna SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTechnology partner providing the application portal for managing inquiries, applications, and enrollment processes for prospective families.
• St. Denis ChurchminorOthersLocal church partnership allowing PBS families to use designated parking areas in St. Denis Church lots, supporting the school's parking commitment to be a good neighbor in Menlo Park.
• VeracrosscoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform providing community portal, program registration, calendar, and advancement systems for school operations and family engagement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton: Independent Catholic K-12 day school on the Peninsula; competes for the same Menlo Park / Atherton family pool with overlapping academic and community programming.
• Stratford School: Bay Area private K-8 school chain with campuses clustered in Silicon Valley; shares PBS's preschool-5th grade span, tuition model, and appeal to affluent dual-income families.
• Challenger School: Private K-8 independent day school operator with multiple Bay Area campuses; directly comparable to PBS in grade range, independent nonsectarian positioning, and family-demographic target.
• The Nueva School: Independent K-12 day school in Hillsborough with a strong social-emotional and design-thinking emphasis; highly comparable to PBS's EI curriculum and gifted-learner focus.
• Pinewood School: Independent K-12 day school in Los Altos Hills, CA; comparable as a private nonsectarian day school serving the same Peninsula feeder market with similar academic positioning.
• Peninsula School: Progressive independent K-8 school located in Menlo Park; closest geographic peer to PBS, sharing the same neighborhood and parent demographic.
• St. Matthew's Episcopal Day School: Private K-5 day school in San Mateo serving Peninsula families; comparable grade span, tuition model, and faith-affiliated-but-nonsectarian-in-practice positioning.

Emerging players

• Waldorf School of the Peninsula: Independent K-12 alternative school with Peninsula campuses; competes in the same family pool with a distinct pedagogy, offering PBS families an alternative within the same submarket.

Regional players

• Castilleja School: All-girls private 6-12 day school in Palo Alto; serves as a primary matriculation destination for PBS 5th-grade graduates and shapes PBS's middle school placement positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Harker School: Larger private K-12 school in San Jose with a full grade range, athletic programs, and significant endowment; competes for the same Silicon Valley feeder but with a much broader scale and portfolio.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrKQe-vb86w_q2LsMwgIHpA
• Facebookfacebook.com/phillipsbrooksschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phillips-brooks-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/phillipsbrooksschool

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Phillips Brooks School